RED BANK – Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P.C. has announced that 21 lawyers have been named to the 2014 Edition of Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.

Best Lawyers has published its list for more than three decades. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in more than 65 countries.

Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas.

They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 39,000 leading attorneys cast almost 3.1 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

SHREWSBURY – My Gym Children’s Fitness Center of Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Plaza, will host an open house 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 15. Local residents and kids will have a chance to meet the staff, see the facility, play and have fun.

“We are excited for the opportunity to let the Shrewsbury community know what My Gym is all about,” said Melissa Wilson, owner of My Gym of Shrewsbury. “My Gym is more than just a fitness facility for children – it’s a place to empower them by helping to develop the skills, confidence and positive self-image they need to become healthy young adults.”

During the open house, parents will be able to register their children for My Gym’s various fitness classes and birthday parties. In addition, My Gym of Shrewsbury will offer new members $50 off the Lifetime Membership fee. Returning members will receive a $50 voucher towards a birthday party. Any current member who refers a friend will also receive a $50 discount on a birthday party.

Created in 1983, My Gym Children’s Fitness Centers offer a place for children to actively participate in a variety of structured, weekly physical education classes to gain social skills and self-esteem. My Gym offers sports, dance and gymnastics as well as birthday parties and mommy-and-me programs.

For more information about My Gym of Shrewsbury’s open house, or to register children for classes, call Melissa Wilson at 732-389-9669. For more information on My Gym, please visit www.MyGym.com.

The event will feature a tour of the brewery and tasting of its product. Appetizers will be served. The event will offer businesses and individuals an opportunity to get out, network and enjoy light refreshments in a relaxing atmosphere.

The card exchange is $15 for chamber members, $20 for Northern/Eastern Monmouth County Area Chamber members and $25 for nonmembers. The price includes the fee for touring and tasting at the facility.

For further information about the chamber and upcoming activities visit www.atlantichighlands.org, or call 732-872-8711.

The Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce is a volunteer, not-for-profit association dedicated to supporting and enhancing the economic vitality of Atlantic Highlands. The chamber welcomes members and nonmembers alike to attend and network all events.

Shannon Murphy Accepts Key Position at Prevention First

OCEAN TOWNSHIP – Prevention First recently announced that Shannon L. Murphy has accepted a promotion to the agency’s new key position of deputy director. Murphy will work under the direction of Mary Pat Angelini, whose role as Prevention First’s executive director and CEO has been incorporated into her new position as director of Preferred Services of New Jersey, a large, nonprofit organization with which Prevention First is now affiliated.

As deputy director of Prevention First, Murphy is responsible for overseeing all agency programs and operational activities. Her past experience will allow her to successfully identify the needs of the Monmouth and Ocean county children and families who the agency will continue to reach out to and serve.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead Prevention First as deputy director,” said Murphy. “With Mary Pat’s support and leadership, and our highly professional and extremely dedicated staff, I am certain that together, we will continue to succeed in helping children and families remain healthy, safe and drug-free.”

Murphy has been with Prevention First since 2006, when she was hired as an education specialist, responsible for implementing programs to children in pre- to upper elementary schools. During that time, her work included researching, creating and implementing Choosing a Healthy Life by Making Healthy Choices, a four-level obesity prevention program for elementary school students. Among Murphy’s accomplishments during this period was the formal recognition of her skills and dedication as a Trainer of Trainers for Dr. Gilbert Botvin’s nationally recognized, evidence-based drug, alcohol and violence prevention program, LifeSkills TrainingTM.

In 2009, Murphy was promoted to the position of director of Youth Services, where she was responsible for overseeing Prevention First’s Youth Services Department and staff to ensure that all evidence-based program fidelity guidelines were met. She was successful in researching and applying for many local, state and federal funding opportunities, assessing and organizing needs of collaborators and developing and monitoring the programmatic and budgetary aspects of most of the agency’s grants and programs.

Murphy is a member of a variety of committees throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties, including planning boards, substance abuse prevention committees, community development initiatives and municipal alliances. She graduated from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and has since dedicated most of her career to her passion to educate and empower young people.